This invention relates generally to manufacturing techniques, and more specifically to methods and apparatus for securing components for manufacture.
Accurate manufacturing of a component may be a significant factor in determining a manufacturing time of the component. Specifically, when the component is a gas turbine engine blade, accurate manufacturing of the blade may be one of the most significant factors affecting an overall cost of fabrication of the gas turbine engine, as well as subsequent modifications, repairs, and inspections of the blade. For example, gas turbine engine blades include a tip shroud that typically requires an accurately machined radius along the tip and center section of the blade. The radius is established using a system of datums referenced about the profile of the blade. More specifically, to establish the datums, the blades must be rigidly held during manufacturing, such that the tip shroud is maintained in position without distorting the blade profile.
At least some known manufacturing processes encapsulate a cast gas turbine engine blade in a tin-bismuth matrix wherein datums from the cast blade are transferred to the matrix. However, using such a matrix does not always produce accurate results that are reliable or easily repeatable. In addition, using a matrix may require multiple fixtures, machines, and/or processes. Furthermore, a matrix may decrease how rigidly the blade is held during manufacturing, which may result in a slower manufacturing time of the blade.